The Egyptian Embassy in Pretoria announced that two kidnapped Egyptian students in South Africa had been released unharmed and reunited with their families on Friday.

Momen Haitham Kamel and Fady Said Mahmoud, two student pilots at ATIS Aviation Academy in Gauteng province in northeastern South Africa, were kidnapped on 14 May.

In a statement on its official page on Facebook, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the students have been released following intensive efforts pursued by the Egyptian embassy in cooperation with relevant authorities in South Africa, including security bodies and senior government officials.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Ambassador to South Africa Ahmed El-Fadely received the two students after they were freed and reassured their families that they are in good health.

Fadely said the embassy had preferred to deal with the matter discreetly without attracting media attention to ensure the safety of the kidnapped nationals and secure their safe and smooth release.

He added that any leaked information could have endangered the lives of the two students.

The ambassador thanked the South African authorities for their cooperation with the Egyptian side regarding the issue, noting that such act of solidarity testifies to the robust ties binding the sisterly African nations.

Source: State Information Service Egypt